Bloodtiger
by Icenectar
Summary: Possibly the last of his species alive, Marlin takes on odd jobs just to survive seeing every job as a game of wits.But when he takes on a job for Vicious will this game of wits turn into a desperate fight for survival?Who will be the victor of this game?


Bloodtiger

            He brought a cigarette to his mouth as the bartender set his drink in front of him.  He paid for his drink and retired to a dark corner where he could watch the clientele in peace.  It was the typical crowd, full of fortune seekers and prostitutes.  He ran his fingers along the rim of the glass and watched as he watched customers come and go.

            "You're late," he commented as a tall male in gothic attire sat across from him.  The second man brushed his long black hair away from his face as he removed his sunglasses.

            "My informant was late. This is the _Bebop_. The bounty hunters who own this ship are the ones you have to watch out for. One's an ex-cop and the other used to work for the syndicate," the newcomer said.

            "Sounds like a lovely combination. Vicious better make it worth my while to do this."

            "He's going to pick the shipment up at its final destination. He'll give you your payment then."

            "So where's the item?"

            "Right here. The disk is concealed inside this medallion."

            "This doesn't have a monitoring chip, does it?"

            "No. They trust you."

            "They'd better. Otherwise they'll be in trouble. I don't keep loyalties so I'm not subject to their rules."

            "We're being watched."

            "I know. I believe he's a syndicate member but I'm not leaving anything to chance. Wait a second. It's a cop."

            "Go ahead and leave Marlin. I'll take care of him for you."

            "Thanks. See you later."

            Marlin stood up and walked towards the men's room.  The policeman followed him but was stopped by Marlin's friend.

            "Out of my way Burton. I'm not looking to bring you in…yet," the officer said.

            "Who are you going to bring in?"  Burton inquired.

            "Where did he go? You set this up, didn't you?"

            "What have you got on Marlin anyway? He's got a legit business."

            "He's also Bloodtiger isn't he?"

            Burton watched the policeman double over in pain and pocketed the syringe that he had inserted into the officer's body.  He stepped over the corpse and walked up to the bar.  He ordered a drink and laid a large bill on the counter.

            "Take care of him, will you?"  he asked as he picked up his drink.

***

            Marlin walked into his apartment and set the medallion on the top of a desk.  He walked into the bedroom and opened the closet door.  He took out a red and black uniform and laid it on the bed.  He took off his shirt and walked into the bathroom.  He picked up the ringing phone and pressed the "talk" button.

            "Hey Burton. What is it?"  he asked as he unzipped his pants.  He listened to Burton's voice for a moment then leaned up against the edge of the sink.

            "So the cops know. Yeah but he's probably got something on me and when the department finds out that he's dead they'll start looking for a motive. What? No, it just makes things more interesting. How much do you want to be involved in this one?"

            He listened to Burton's voice as he turned on the tap.  He climbed into the bath and leaned against the edge of the tub. 

            "Yeah. Listen I want you to keep an eye on that bounty hunter ship. Yeah, I know I'm not wanted for anything but I think the tiger's in a mood to go hunting. Hang on a second will you? I need to rinse off."

            He submerged into the clear water that immediately changed color when his hair came into contact with it.  He surfaced and shook his head, his chin length hair now silver streaked with black and crimson.  He blinked excess water from his eyes for a few seconds then picked up the phone as he stood up.

            "What was that? A false trail? That's a good idea. Think you can handle that? Someone's at the door. Damn. I already rinsed the dye out of my hair. Let's see who it is. It's Vicious. What the hell is he doing here? I'll call you back."

            Marlin set down the phone and walked into the bedroom.  He quickly put on his uniform, still buttoning it as he opened the door.

            "I want to make sure you understand the whole operation," Vicious said and grinned when large metallic claws scraped against his neck.

            "I know you're extremely competent and all but if you truly trust me, you wouldn't be here questioning my level of comprehension," he hissed.

            "Very good. You're the only one that could have gotten away with that. If you were anyone else, you would have been dead."

            "You came to test me? Why?"

            "To make sure you're as good as your reputation. Where are your fangs? You just look like a wannabe right now."

            Marlin brought a normal hand to his mouth and removed four tooth caps. He bared his teeth in disgust at being forced to prove himself to Vicious.

            "Does that satisfy you? Now leave. I don't want to see you until the final destination."

            "You might be interested in knowing that I've placed a bounty on your head just to make things interesting."

            "Are you toying with me? The syndicate should know better."

            "I'm not toying per say. I'm just making the trip more interesting. Save that energy for the cowboys. You're going to need it," Vicious said and walked back to his car.

            "Was that wise boss? I've seen him as Bloodtiger," the driver said as he started the engine.

            "It pays to remind them of where the leash ends. He may think that no one owns him but even nomads have loyalties. Remember. As long as the leash is frequently pulled, it reminds the dog of who's in charge."

***

            Marlin's gaze darkened as he watched the car drive away.  Vicious thought that he was so superior.  What he hadn't done was take in account the fact that Marlin knew exactly what he was doing.  He closed the door and picked up the ringing telephone.

            "Hey. No. He wanted to test me and know that I'm on a tight leash. What he hasn't taken in account is the fact that the leash can be broken and the dog can run away. He's trying to outmaneuver me and it's not going to work," Marlin said as he put on a pair of boots.

            "Yeah I know what I'm doing. Do you have the registration on you? All right, I'll meet you at the ship."

            He set down the phone and picked up a large cloak.  He put it on over his uniform and pulled up the hood.  He picked up his keys and walked out of the apartment.

***

            Are you sure you want to come?"  Marlin asked Burton as Burton sat in a chair.

            "Of course. There's no way I'm going to miss out on this," Burton said as he lit a cigarette.

            "Take a look at this will you? If Vicious had to check up on me, then is this thing actually real?"

            Burton took the medallion from Marlin's hand and studied it.  He grinned and tossed it back to Marlin.  Marlin removed his cloak and sat in the pilot's chair.

            "It's real. Where do you want me?"

            "Keep track of how much the bounty is."

            "Right now you're worth five million."

            "What is he doing? Making things up so the bounty can be raised?"

            "I don't know but you might want to get natural Bloodtiger. I've got the feeling that we're in for one hell of a ride."

            Marlin closed his eyes and concentrated.  He felt his body changing into its natural state as Burton watched his form become more cat-like.  He opened his eyes and glanced up. Two long scars a[[eared at his jawbone and ran underneath his right eye. 

            "Are you ready?"  Marlin asked, his voice deep yet cat-like.

            "You truly lead a double life man," Burton said as he sat in the co-pilot's seat.

            "It makes things easier this way. Here we go. I'm looking forward to running into the _Bebop_."

***

            "Hey Spike, look at this guy," Jett said as he pointed to a list of bounties.

            "Bloodtiger huh? What a weird name. How much is he worth?"  Spike asked as he lit a cigarette.

            "Currently ten million. He's wanted by the syndicate."

            "Ten million would take care of a lot of repairs."

            "We could get some decent meals with that kind of money."

            "Where was he last seen?"

            "Apparently no one knows. This guy's going to be a challenge to find."

            "Well he's going to have to wait. We need to stop for fuel."

***

            "Where are we?"  Burton yawned as Marlin stood up.

            "Harden spaceport. We're here to refuel. Come on, let's get some fresh food," Marlin said as he retracted his claws.

            "Can we get some fresh women?"

            "You can. I want to check out this spaceport for future reference. Take the communicator. I don't think you'd want me to leave without you."

            "All right. You know you should have them do a routine check up while they're at it."

            "I plan on doing that. Hold on a second. That's the _Bebop_ isn't it?"

            "Where?"

            "There."

            "Say you're right. Man, what are the chances?"

            "Things just got interesting."

            "Think we'll run into them?"  
            "I hope so."

            Marlin gazed at the ship for a moment then walked down the metallic street.  He pointed to a restaurant and Burton nodded his head.  They walked into the restaurant and sat in the corner booth.  Burton picked up a menu as Marlin scouted the clientele.  He nudged Burton's arm and pointed to the door.

            "Look who's coming in," he said as Jett and Spike walked into the restaurant.

            "I knew there was a reason why I came along," Burton said and Marlin narrowed his eyes.

            "They're not even looking for me. This whole thing happened by chance. This is so perfect. Let's sit back and see what happens."

            "You're not going to order anything?"

            "I am. I'm also going to watch our contenders for this game."

            "Here's the menu."

            "Thanks. They're sitting on the opposite side of the room. If it wasn't so noisy in here, I could hear their conversation."

            "Don't worry about it. Here comes our waitress."

            "Hello. May I take your order?"  the waitress asked and Marlin looked up.

            "Yeah. Can I get a number five and he would like…what do you want?"  Burton asked.

            "Get me a number seven," Marlin said as he watched Spike light a cigarette.  Spike glanced up and scanned the restaurant.

            "He's bound to notice us sooner of later."

            "I know."

            "What are we going to do when that happens?"

            "Split up. They're not after you. If I pull this off right, this is what I want to happen…"

            "Are you serious?"

            "Don't you think I can pull it off?"

            "I don't doubt you. He's looking in our direction."

            "So I noticed but does he actually see us?"

            "What?"

            "I'll explain later. Here's our food."

            "That was fast."

            "Eat quickly and be prepared to run after I pay the check. They're both looking in my direction."

            Marlin set his fork on the plate and glanced at Burton.

            "Are you ready?"  he asked and Burton nodded his head.

            Marlin picked up the check and stood up watching intently as the bounty hunters stood up.  He walked to the register and paid the bill then casually exited the restaurant.

            "They're right behind us," Burton commented as they walked to the corner.

            "Good. We'll let them make the first move," Marlin said as he leaned against the wall of a building.

            "All right Bloodtiger, you're coming with us," Spike said and cocked his gun.

            "Did you seriously think that getting me would be so easy? Now I'm sure that we're both sporting men so why don't we settle this in a sporting fashion? I'll even give you a five minute head start."

            "I hate arrogance."

            Spike fired his gun and his eyes grew wide in shock when the weapon fell from his hand to the ground in numerous pieces.  Marlin tossed what was left of the bullet onto the scrap pile of metal and gazed levelly at Spike.

            "Rule number one. Never take someone at face value. Come on Burton, I guess they don't want to play."

            "You all right Spike?"  Jett asked as he helped Spike up.

            "Yeah. Why didn't you do anything?"  Spike asked.

            "I didn't see him move."

            "Come on. He's getting away."

            Spike and Jett ran after the two.  Marlin glanced at Burton and Burton nodded his head.

            "We'll split at the corner," Marlin said. "If my calculations are correct, the cop will follow you."

            "Take care of yourself," Burton said as he ran down a side street.

            "Let's see how fast this guy can run."

            "Damn he's fast. Where did he go?"  Spike asked.

***

            Marlin crouched in the shadows.  His eyes glinted dangerously as Spike walked into the Bebop.  He sat on the couch and placed his feet on the table.

            "No luck either?"  Jett asked as he walked in from the kitchen.

            "No. What gets me is the fact that the guy wasn't scared. It was as if he knew he had a bounty on him," Spike said.

            "So what now?"

            "We follow that ship. The mechanics said that's the ship that Bloodtiger got off of."

            "What if the whole thing is a setup?"

            "It's a real bounty. What the hell is the dog barking for?"

            The lights dimmed and flickered off.  Spike sighed in disgust and stood up.

            "I thought we replaced the batteries in those things," Spike said.

            "We did," Jett replied.

            "Would you shut up?"

            "Maybe he's hungry."

            "Then get him some food. I guess I'll check our power source. Maybe there's a loose connection somewhere."

            Marlin watched Spike walk into the hall and followed him.  He waited until they were a safe distance away then pounced.  Spike ducked instinctively and Marlin hit the floor.  He sprang to his feet and lunged at Spike.  Spike met him head on and punched him in the stomach.  Marlin doubled back in pain and bared his teeth.

            "You're not really wanted for anything, are you?"  Spike asked as he dodged another attack.

            "No. One of your associates put one on me to make things interesting," Marlin said as he slashed Spike's arm.  Spike winced in pain as he kicked Marlin away.

            "Who did it?"

            "Vicious."

            "What?"

            "Hey Marlin. Say hello to Vicious for me. That is, if you're still alive. I'm of. Your ship should  bring in quite a lot of money along with the medallion," Burton's voice said over the communicator.

            "I've been double crossed," Marlin growled and looked up when he heard the _click_ of a gun.

            "It's over tiger," Spike said and Marlin grinned.

            "Is it?"

            Marlin's eyes narrowed as he knocked Spike to the ground with one swift kick.  He pounced onto Spike's body and scraped his claws against Spike's neck.  Spike gasped as he tried to push Marlin off of him.  A gun was fired and Marlin glanced up.  Jett stood in front of him, his gun still smoking. Marlin growled and sprang up.  He attempted to lunge for Jett but violently hit the floor as Spike yanked on his ankles.  He gazed at Spike and then at Jett whose gun was pointed at his chest.  Spike swiftly clubbed him on the head and Marlin fell unconscious.

***

            "What are we going to do with him?"  Spike asked.

            "I don't know. If the bounty isn't real then he's clean. He's coming around," Jett said.

            "Look if you're going to kill me then do it," Marlin growled as he opened his eyes.

            "You should have never gotten involved with Vicious," Spike said as Marlin tried to break his shackles.

            "I've been involved with worse people than Vicious. Vicious isn't much of a threat."

            "He was using you."

            "I know. The game isn't over, my wonderful opponents."

            "What?"  Jett asked and in one swift motion, Marlin stood behind him, completely free of his bonds.

            "How the hell did you do that?"  Spike asked as he stared at Marlin.

            "I told you to never assume the abilities of your opponents," Marlin said.

            "Hold up on the fight you two. You really got us at a disadvantage. We need to figure out what to do with him," Jett said as Marlin began to pace restlessly back and forth.

            "Why don't we drop him off at the closest spaceport?"  Spike asked.

            "Fine but until then, what are we going to do with him?"

            "What can we do?"

            "This is one game that Vicious won't win," Marlin hissed.

            "Why don't you have a seat on the couch?"  Jett suggested and Marlin reluctantly complied with his request.  He sat on the couch and stared silently at the wall.

            Where had he gone wrong?  His eyes darkened at the answer.  Burton.  He had trusted Burton.  That was his first mistake.  His ears twitched angrily as he thought of how he was going to kill Burton.  How dare he double cross him?  Marlin tapped his claws idly on the coffee table for a moment then stood up.  Spike glanced at him for a moment then turned away.  Marlin's eyes darkened as he ran through the moves in his head.  Trusting Burton was his fatal mistake.

            "He's a dead man," Marlin muttered.

            "Would you like to talk?"  Jett asked as he sat across from Marlin.

            "Why would an ex-cop be interested in my life?"

            "I'm just interested in people. It takes my mind off of my own problems."

            "My life is no one's business."

            "Sounds a lot like me and my problems," Spike said and Marlin turned away from him.

            "I don't go around searching for pity. My life is my own problem, not something for other people to feel sorry for."

            "All right. I was just trying to make conversation," Jett said as he walked out of the room.  Marlin stood up and stared out the window.  He clenched his hands in anger and watched as blood dripped down his arms.  How could he have miscalculated every move?  It wasn't fair.

            "Getting involved in the syndicate wasn't a smart idea," Spike said and Marlin bared his teeth.

            "What's the point of it all? I've been trying to stay alive my whole life. Maybe it's not worth it any more," Marlin muttered.

            "It's like a dream isn't it?"

            "Yes it is. Except for me, it's like a nightmare. If you want to kick me out in the middle of space, I understand. It's what I deserve anyway."

            "We're bounty hunters, not murderers," Jett said as he stepped out of the kitchen. "Damn! It burned again."

            "What are you trying to cook?"  Marlin inquired.

            "I'm trying to do something with these vegetables before they go bad."

            "Do you have any fish?"

            "I think we have a small one in the freezer."

            Marlin opened the freezer door and took out a small fish wrapped in plastic.  He sniffed it and set it on the counter.  He ushered Jett out of the kitchen and walked back into the kitchen.

            "Looks like you've been relieved of your duties," Spike said as he lit a cigarette.

            "You can't cook any better," Jett said as Spike blew out a puff of smoke.

            "He's making a lot of noise in there."

            "He probably knows what he's doing. It smells better than some of the things you've cooked."

            "I'm no chef."

            "I know."

            Marlin set a pair of plates on the table and then walked back into the kitchen.  He sighed as he stared at what was left in the pot.  He missed his home.  Why did he have to be off planet when the world exploded? Now he was stuck fending for his life.  He felt like he was a piece of wood in an endless sea, drifting aimlessly towards no definite destination. 

            Everything he knew and loved was gone.  The only one he truly cared fore was gone with his home and there wasn't anything he could have done about it.  He flinched in pain and glanced down at his hands.  Blood trickled off his metallic claws and he painfully straightened his fingers.  He picked up a cloth and wrapped it around his hand just as Jett walked into the kitchen.

            "What happened?"  Jett asked and Marlin bared his teeth in pain.

            "Memories," Marlin replied.

            "Why don't you sit down and I'll get you some bandages? We've got plenty. Spike gets reckless at times."

            Marlin sat down and stared at the table.  He retracted his claws painfully and his eyes narrowed as he glanced at Spike. Spike sat watching him as he lit another cigarette.

            "Let me guess. You lost a woman, didn't you?"  he asked and Marlin glared at him.

            "I lost more than that. I lost my life," Marlin said as Jett walked back into the room.  He growled slightly as Jett took his hand.

            "Those cuts are pretty deep," Jett commented as he took the cloth off of Marlin's hand.

            "How did you lose everything?"  Spike asked.

            "Why does it matter? There's nothing I can do about it now," Marlin growled.

            "Sit still. You don't want to get an infection, do you?"  Jett asked.

            "Does it really matter?"

            "It would help if you'd talk about it."

            "All right. Ten years ago my planet exploded while I was off doing business on a neighboring world. I returned only to find an asteroid belt where my home had once been. It's very depressing to find out that you're the only one of your kind left alive. That's why all of this seems like a nightmare."

            "I pity you. There. That should feel better," Jett said and Marlin looked at his hand.

            "Thank you but I don't want pity," Marlin said as he painfully moved his hand.

            "Holding onto the past is not an answer," Spike said.

            "It's all that I have. You both have some connections to the past that you've lost. That's why you're bounty hunters. Funny isn't it? A couple of hours ago, you were willing to kill me and now look at us."

            "So what are you going to do?"  Jett asked.

            "First of all, I'm going to kill Burton for stealing my ship. After that I guess I'll go after Vicious."

            "Are you insane? You don't know what he's capable of," Spike said and Marlin smiled.

            "So that's why he put the bounty on me. He specifically wanted us to get into a fight. Apparently, we're both a threat to him," Marlin said.

            "Vicious is mine. I have a lot to settle with him."

            Marlin said nothing as he painfully flexed his fingers.  His ears twitched as a computer screen lit up and the theme song to the Big Shot program started to play.  He stood up and sighed.  He wished that there was something for him to live for.  He still wished that he could have saved her from a certain death.  She was the only one that he had truly cared for.

            "She's dead. You can't do anything about it," Spike said.

            "I should have been there," Marlin muttered.

            "And done what? From what I understand the explosion was an accident. You would have died with everyone else."

            "That wouldn't have been so bad."

            "No woman is worth death."

            "Not even yours?"

            Spike's eyes narrowed as he glanced at Marlin.  Was he that transparent?  Could every stranger see that he still loved a woman?  Marlin watched Spike's actions and smiled.  It was his people's nature to be able to read others emotions.  He just wished that there were more of his people around.

            "Were coming up on a spaceport," Jett said and Marlin looked up.

            "It looks as though our paths are going to part," Marlin said as he took the bandage off of his hand.

            "You heal fast."

            "It's a trait of my species. Unfortunately that trait couldn't help them when the world exploded."

            "You've got to get past that."

            "Just like how you've put your past behind you?"

            Marlin gazed at the bounty hunters and smiled.  Humans were so interesting with their contradicting beliefs.  That was part of the reason why he wished that he wasn't alone in the universe.  He needed someone he could relate to and there wasn't anyone around that could fill his need.  He placed his hands behind his back and sighed.  He wished that he could change the past.

            "Why does life have to be so damned unfair?"  he asked.

            "I guess that's the only thing that lets you know that you're alive. If my life was perfect, things would get monotonous," Jett said.

            "So basically you have no idea why life is the way it is."

            "If anyone knew why life is the way it is, we wouldn't be so confused," Spike said.

            "He's got a point there," Jett said.

            "Don't you regret the cards that have been dealt to you?"  Marlin asked.

            "Sure but there's nothing we can do about it."

            Marlin yawned and stretched his cat-like body.  He sat back down on the couch and closed his eyes.  His ears twitched intently as he leaned back into the couch.  He placed his legs on the table and ignored the movements of the bounty hunters.  His nose twitched with the unmistakable scent of canine and his eyes snapped open.  He stared at Ein, who sat beside him staring at him with interest, and moved slightly away from him.

            "So you're afraid of dogs," Spike said and Marlin looked at him.

            "It's the smell. Don't you bathe him? He smells like oil or something," Marlin said as Ein laid his head on Marlin's hand.  Marlin tightly shut his eyes in disgust.  He stood up and walked away from the dog and Spike watched in amusement as Ein followed him.

            "He likes you," Jett said and Marlin bared his fangs at the small animal.

            "I'm not that fond of dogs."

            "I hate dogs too," Spike said.

            "Why do you have one then?"  Marlin asked.

            "I have no idea."

            "We'll be at the spaceport in a couple of hours. Do you need anything?"  Jett asked as Marlin tried to avoid Ein.

            "Even if I did, I wouldn't ask you," Marlin said. "I don't ask for handouts."

            "That's a good policy," Spike said.

            "Sometimes you need help from others," Jett said.

            "Why is it following me?"  Marlin asked.

            "Maybe you remind him of a cat," Spike said and flinched when Marlin glared at him.

            "My people were _not_ the equivalent of your cute little house cat."

            "I didn't mean to insult you. I was trying to be humorous."

            Marlin turned away from him and said nothing as he sat back on the couch.  Jett took Ein into the opposite room and Marlin breathed a sigh of relief.

            "I'm not fond of dogs," Marlin muttered as he reached into his pocket for a cigarette.

            "At least Fay isn't here. I couldn't stand it if she were here," Spike said.

            "Who's Fay?"

            "Someone else I'm stuck with."

            "It sounds like you're running a cab service."

            "Fay is like a boomerang. We get rid of her and she keeps coming back."

            "We'll be there soon," Jett said as he walked into the room.

***

            Marlin stepped out onto the solid ground and narrowed his eyes.  Vicious stood waiting for Marlin and Marlin gazed past him at Burton.  Vicious smiled darkly as he took a step forward.

            "Game's over. Thanks to Burton we know all of your techniques so there's no way for you to escape," Vicious said and Marlin darkly smiled.

            "I didn't tell Burton everything. I withheld the most important reason why I'm named Bloodtiger," Marlin said and everyone watched as his features changed to a biped version of a tiger.  His fur was white with crimson stripes and his long tail had a sharp metallic nib attached to the end of his tail.  He stood about eight and a half feet in height and he bared his large fangs.  He gazed directly at Burton and Burton flinched in terror.

            He leaped into the air and attacked Burton, impervious to the bullets that hit him.  Burton screamed in pain as the others watched his torn and scarred body fell to the floor.  Blood pooled out from his mutilated body and Marlin stood tall.  He gazed at Vicious and smiled menacingly.

            "You're just lucky that someone else wishes to kill you because I would have killed you by now. _You've _lost Vicious. You underestimated me. That was your mistake. You never took in account that the dog's leash can break or the dog can escape," he said as he ripped Vicious' shirt.  He turned away from Vicious and Vicious' eyes darkened.  He had just been made a mockery of in front of his followers.  He unsheathed his sword and Marlin's ears twitched.  He jumped out of Vicious' path and spun around.  His cat-like eyes watched Vicious' movements as he made his attack.  He sharply clubbed Vicious on the head and held him up by the shirt collar.  He threw Vicious across the room and walked out into the street.

            He was through with dealing with humans.  He was going to take his ship and go somewhere where humans did not exist.  He had trusted humans for the last time.  He had been double crossed, threatened, and attacked.  He had been pitied and followed by a dog.  Marlin screamed in pain when he felt metal spear through his back.  He fell to the ground as Vicious pulled his sword out of Marlin's back.

            "_You've lost Bloodtiger," Vicious hissed as he repeatedly skewered Marlin's body.  He grinned at Marlin's cries of pain and kicked the dying body across the floor.  The nightmare was over. The game had ended and once again, Vicious was the victor._


End file.
